Like David taking on two Goliaths, 4GL development software vendor Four J believes it has a better idea than the industry's primary development platforms, Java and Microsoft .Net.
Four J's Genero is an object-based unified development environment for building client, database, and server-independent business applications.
Due to ship at the end of summer, the next generation of the company's platform features an XML-based object presentation layer to ensure that interface development is separated from deployment. Developers in Genero can focus on business logic, according to the company.
The company believes its 4GL-based platform, which is compatible with Informix 4GL and currently available as Four J's Business Development Suite, is a superior alternative to Java and .Net.
Company Chairman and CEO Jean-Georges Schwartz has particularly harsh words for Java, saying it has slowed down the development market rather than advancing it. Java also requires a lot of maintenance services, he said.
"I say C# and Java are too complex to write business applications," Schwartz said.
Four J, which has U.S. headquarters in Dallas, offers an alternative that is simpler and more economical, according to company officials.
But Sun Microsystems' John Fowler, executive vice president of the software group at Sun, said the market already has spoken and adopted Java over 4GLs.
"There's been a lot of 4GLs … but none of them have achieved mass market adoption to have tools and capabilities around them," Fowler said.
Four J's product features a simple, abstract language that can be used with any operating system, database, or algorithm, according to the company. It also features a virtual machine for executing byte code and supports interoperability with Web services via support of SOAP 1.1.
Genero features an XML tree and applications can be modified dynamically at runtime.
Genero will cost $400 per congruent user or $15,000 per CPU.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts
Recommend This
